Why EFCC can’t probe NNPC over missing $20bn – Lamorde

Speaking during the 2014 budget defence of the commission before members of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes in Abuja yesterday, Lamorde said the commission was awaiting the report of the Senate Committee on Finance which is probing the allegation before commencing it’s investigation. “For every investigation, once the National Assembly is on […]

Speaking during the 2014 budget defence of the commission before members of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes in Abuja yesterday, Lamorde said the commission was awaiting the report of the Senate Committee on Finance which is probing the allegation before commencing it’s investigation.
 “For every investigation, once the National Assembly is on it we have to wait until they conclude,” he said as he observed that Nigerians are always in a hurry to crucify people being accused.
 “It’s not a mob kind of thing. There must be a sequence of events that would lead us to taking a decision. Let the hearing of the National Assembly be concluded. Normally when it is concluded it is forwarded to us for investigation.
“I think people are in a hurry. What people want to hear is that just because there is an issue today, tomorrow you are shouting kill him, stone him…. We don’t do investigation by the media. When we are ready to charge the individual to court we will do so. But when the investigation is going on let the investigation be conclusive”, he said.
He said the commission can’t launch an investigation into the allegations because of the technical nature of NNPC’S operations, saying, “you need a professional firm to handle this. This is not a common investigation. These are very technical things. Let the audit be carried out. Let’s know exactly what we are talking about, understand what the figures are and criminal investigation can follow.”
However, Senator Sani Saleh (APC Kaduna) faulted Lamorde’s position, saying,  “our investigations are different from yours. NNPC is the golden hen that lays eggs for the nation, the allegations have been in the newspapers and there is also the NEITI report which indicted them”.
Committee chairman Senator Victor Lar (PDP Plateau) said the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was not doing enough to fight corruption. Lar who spoke at a separate meeting with officials of the commission lamented that the government has continued to under-fund the ICPC.  Senator Umaru Dahiru (APC Sokoto) also accused government of starving both anti-graft agencies and the judiciary of funds which he said was threatening the fight against corruption.